Order Flowers

Ordering flowers from our site ensures that your order will reach us or the family in a timely manner, and your gesture of support will remain acknowledged in the Book of Memories for future generations. We only work with local florists so we can maintain the sense of urgency and quality of your selections. We thank you for helping to support the family during their time of need, and will fondly remember your kind gesture.

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Pre-Arrange Your Funeral

Are you thinking about pre-planning your funeral? Pre-planning is the best way to choose how you're remembered, to ease the emotional and financial burden on your loved ones, to protect yourself from rising funeral costs, and to let your family know your final wishes.

Order Tribute Gifts

We respect the sensitivity and dignity that comes with ordering tribute gifts from the funeral home. It is for this reason that we have attempted to design our online Sympathy Store with the utmost respect to the family and the deceased. We hope you find this service helpful during your time of need and would welcome any comments or suggestions you might have to help us serve our communities better.

365 Days of Healing

Daily Grief Support by Email

Grieving doesn't always end with the funeral: subscribe to our free daily grief support email program, designed to help you a little bit every day,
by filling out the form below.

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52 Weekly Tips

Weekly Email Tips to Support a Grieving Friend

It's hard to know what to say when someone experiences loss. Our free weekly newsletter provides insights, quotes and messages on how to help during the first year.

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Keeping Busy

I can’t count the number of times I’ve asked someone how they cope with grief and they say, “Well, I keep myself busy.”

Keeping busy can be a good thing. We all need to have a purpose, a reason to get out of bed in the morning. We all have gifts and talents to share, and we are called to offer them to others. We all need enough money to live, and most of the time staying employed makes that possible.

Watch out though, that keeping busy doesn’t become the excuse that keeps you from grieving. It is easy to fill every hour with activity to avoid facing the fact that you are alone. It is easy to wear yourself out so thoroughly that you are too exhausted to think about what has happened.

Those tendencies are fed by our society, which values productivity and denies pain. After a tragedy, you are expected to pick yourself up and move on. You are told not to be a burden or bring everybody else down. You are told that it’s time you put this behind you and get on with life.

Give yourself permission to ignore society. Give yourself plenty of time and space to grieve. Cry until you think you can’t cry any more. Go ahead and feel lonely. Feel sorry for yourself for a while. Scream and throw a temper tantrum. Be angry. Be sad. Be grateful. Recognize and deal with all those emotions that come tumbling out.

Why should you let yourself feel all this pain? Because otherwise you will never truly heal. Grief unexpressed does not go away. It lurks just under the surface, waiting to rear its ugly head when you least expect it. Your emotions are less controllable, so you find yourself reacting to things in ways that are entirely out of proportion. You may sob over distant deaths or even cry over a game show. The more you try to hold it all in, the more determined it is to come out. You can even make yourself physically sick by refusing to face your grief.

Is it hard to allow the pain? Yes. You may wish to take advantage of a support group so you can share your struggle. Perhaps you prefer to read the stories of others so you gain their wisdom and advice. You may choose quieter activities like writing, music, or drawing your experience. Or you may choose physical activities like sports, running, dancing, or stomping your feet.

It is good to be busy, to have goals and purpose in your life. It is also good to help yourself heal, so you can better enjoy the life you have now. Happiness and satisfaction are still possible, especially if you don’t use the busyness of life to avoid doing the things you need to do to find them.